Auburn’s quarterback competition has taken its first turn of the offseason.

T.J. Finley, who opened last season as the Tigers’ starting quarterback, plans to reenter the transfer portal this summer after graduating next month It’s Finley’s second time in the portal, as he started his career at LSU before transferring to Auburn two years ago.

Finley posted a tweet on Tuesday afternoon, announcing his exit.

Finley’s decision to transfer comes after a spring in which he competed for the starting job alongside Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner. Ashford took over as Auburn’s starter early last season after a shoulder injury derailed Finley’s campaign, while Geriner redshirted and appeared in just one game as a true freshman last fall. Freeze has been transparent in his assessment of Auburn’s quarterback race, saying on multiple occasions that the competition will continue into fall camp and that he would welcome adding another transfer to the position if the Tigers could identify the right fit during the spring transfer window.

Finley was typically seen working with the second-team offense this spring, including on A-Day, when he completed just 1-of-4 passes on a rain-soaked afternoon but led a pair of second-half field goal drives, including the game-tying one to end the scrimmage.

After A-Day, Finley — speaking to local media for the first time since mid-September — expressed uncertainly about his future at Auburn amid the ongoing quarterback competition. He asserted that he wanted to be Auburn’s starting quarterback and wasn’t afraid of competing for the job.

“Competition doesn’t scare me,” Finley said April 8. “I know who I am. I know what I can do, and with the right coaches, I know who I can grow into and hopefully this is the place. Competition brings the best out of everybody, and if you can’t handle competition, you don’t need to be in this industry. That’s how I look at it. I serve a great God, and God has put me here for a reason, and I’m going to fulfill my destiny here.”

However, he also said he was “not sure” if he would accept a backup role this season and deflected when asked about a potential post-spring transfer, saying that any decisions could hinge on whether Auburn decided to bring in another portal quarterback and further conversations with Freeze about the position and his role. The Tigers have been actively looking for a “no-brainer” quarterback addition on the transfer market, even hosting Nebraska transfer Casey Thompson over the weekend.

Finley transferred to Auburn in 2021 after leaving LSU, competing for the starting job against Bo Nix during Bryan Harsin’s first season as the Tigers’ head coach.

Finley won the starting quarterback competition in 2022 with Harsin heading into his second year as the head coach. He threw for one touchdown and three interceptions with 431 yards in three games before getting injured during a loss against Penn State.

Finley appeared in just one more game the remainder of the season, briefly appearing in Auburn’s loss at Ole Miss. He also took a leave of absence from the team late in the year for mental health reasons before rejoining the Tigers during offseason workouts and vying for the starting job this spring.

Finley finishes his Auburn career completing 56.9 percent of his passes for 1,258 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions while averaging 6.5 yards per pass attempt.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.